In 2015, the PRE horses of Hampton Green Farm have distinguished themselves in national championships on both sides of the Atlantic. Competing against the best horses of all breeds in Spain, the United States and Europe, Hampton Green Farm horses and riders have continued to prove that the PRE horse is relevant in high performance dressage.

Youth Riders Kerrigan Gluch and Alexandra Meghi of Canada both brought home medals from the North American Junior Young Rider Championships, individually and in team contests. Iliado HGF was the highest FEI-ranked international horse in Canada for 2015, and 8 year old stallion Vaquero HGF, with Kerrigan, went on to become USEF Reserve National Young Rider Champions, in their first year competing at the Young Rider (Prix St. George) level.

Jose Daniel Martin Dockx campaigned three horses for HGF in 2015, with resounding success. Ten year old Bolero debuted at Grand Prix, with respectable international scores in his first year, taking third place in the Freestyle at CDI Madrid, scoring over 70%, and ending the year with a national win in Sotogrande. At the Spanish National Dressage Championships, 9 year old Oxido was Reserve Champion of Spain at the Small Tour.

Grandioso and Dani captured 5 CDI Grand Prix wins in 2015, including a big win in Wellington in January. They were an integral part of the effort to secure an Olympic berth for Spain at the European Championships in Aachen, with a stunning team finish of 4th place. And they finished the year with a satisfying sweep of the Madrid Horse Week Grand Prix, with scores that came close to their all-time highs.

In Michigan in 2015, HGF’s breeding program produced 5 top-quality foals from sires Grandioso and Faralay II (of Ketcham Ranch). HGF riding staff, led by Maria Lithander, worked diligently over the summer preparing an exciting group of young horses for sales prospects in 2016. A full brother to Nicholas Fyffe’s Fiero HGF--4 year old Mejorano HGF, by Grandioso—was started in the summer and then traveled in the fall to Spain to begin training with Dani in Mijas. Six mares were covered for 2016 foals, by sires Camaron IX, Cuatrero IV, and Armas Charneco. Revision was held at HGF in the fall, and 3 year old Conocido HGF received outstanding marks from the ANCCE vet, with marks of 9 for movement and overall impression.

HGF sponsored youth initiatives in 2015 through Lendon Gray’s Dressage4Kids foundation. The Winter Intensive Training (WIT) program was held at HGF in Wellington again, with 15 young riders who spent three months training with Lendon and others, and competing in the Florida circuit. HGF was also a sponsor of the Robert Dover Horsemastership Week in Wellington in January, hosting an 80s-themed fundraiser that brought out over 200 people and raised close to $5000.00 for the program. We also were title sponsors of the Florida International Youth Dressage Championships in March, and were pleased to see European youth rider participation for the first time in 2015.

In June, HGF hosted the Michigan Emerging Dressage Athlete Clinic and the Lendon Youth Dressage Festival in Fruitport, bringing out the largest group of aspiring dressage riders to date for these events.

In 2015 HGF continued to open its doors for local non-profits, with over 15 charities hosting events on our grounds in both Michigan and Florida. We have found that “a day with the horses” is a successful draw for raising awareness and funding for many worthwhile charitable organizations, and that helping with these events has become the high points of our calendar.

HGF-bred horses received top honors with their riders/owners in 2015, including USDF All Breeds winners, Copa USPRE winners and USPRE Dressage Team members, a USEF Silver Stirrup winner, and a member of a national developing list.

So another busy year comes to a close….with an even more exciting year ahead with the prospects of the Olympics in Rio. Four HGF horses will be competing with young riders in the Florida shows starting in January, and Dani will continue to develop Bolero and Oxido for the Grand Prix. A group of young HGF-bred horses will make the trip from Fruitport to the south of Spain in 2016 to begin our newest project of young prospects, and several more will be started here in the States for various purposes. Grandioso, in his final year of competition, will participate in select clinics and shows during the year at the direction of the RFHE for hopeful participation on the Spanish Team.

HGF is more than locations and more than horses. Its is a community of hard-working and dedicated people who make all of this happen with success. We could not be who we are without our team. Our hats off to this wonderful family we call HGF: